Transistors

K. Branzuela, E. Ocaba, G.L. Peig

ABSTRACT
We conducted this experiment for us to know how a transistor works and know its
conducting characteristics.
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this experiment is to know how a transistor works and know its
conducting characteristics. For us to know how the transistor works, we should know first
what is a transistor and what are the types of it.

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electric signals and

electric power. It is composed of semiconductor materials for connection to an external
circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor’s terminal changes the
current through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be
higher than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal. Bipolar junction
transistors are transistors which are made up of 3 regions, the base, the collector, and the
emitter. It comes in two types, npn and pnp. A npn transistor is one in which the majority
current carrier are electrons. Electron flowing from the emitter to the collector forms the base
of the majority of current flow through the transistor. The other type of of charge,holes, are a
minority. pnp transistors are the opposite. In pnp transistors, the majority current carriers are
holes.

Figure 1: pnp transistor circuit

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The most commonly used transistor configuration is the NPN Transistor. We also learnt that
the junctions of the bipolar transistor can be biased in one of three different ways – Common
Base, Common Emitter and Common Collector. The construction and terminal voltages for a
bipolar NPN transistor are shown above. The voltage between the Base and Emitter (VBE ), is
positive at the Base and negative at the Emitter because for an NPN transistor, the Base
terminal is always positive with respect to the Emitter. Also the Collector supply voltage is
positive with respect to the Emitter (VCE ). So, for a bipolar NPN transistor to conduct the
Collector is always more positive with respect to both the Base and the Emitter.

Figure 2: npn transistor circuit

The transistor current in a bipolar NPN transistor is the ratio of these two currents (Ic/Ib),
called the DC Current Gain of the device and is given the symbol of hfe or nowadays Beta,
(β). The value of β can be large up to 200 for standard transistors, and it is this large ratio
between Ic and Ib that makes the bipolar NPN transistor a useful amplifying device when
used in its active region as Ib provides the input and Ic provides the output. Note
that Beta has no units as it is a ratio.

𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐼𝑐
𝐷𝐶 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐺𝑎𝑖𝑛 = =
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐼𝑏

𝐼𝑐
∴ ℎ𝑓𝑒 = 𝛽 = (equation 1)
𝐼𝑏

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METHODOLOGY

A. Transistor Switch
A1. The circuit in fig. 3 was constructed.

Fig. 3

A square wave at 1 kHz was applied, and Amplitude and offset were adjusted so that
Vin will be between 0V and 5V. The following graphs were observed on the
oscilloscope.

A2. The frequency of Vin was increased and there was no voltage observed at very
high frequencies.

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A3. A 100pF capacitor in parallel was connected with the 100k resistor, and
observation was made.

A4. A triangular wave to 0 to 5 volts peak to peak to was applied to input. Waveforms
were observed from the oscilloscope.

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 B. Measurement of Current Gain ℎ𝑓𝑒
B1. The circuit fig. 4 was constructed.

Fig. 4
For three values of 𝐼𝑏 = 5𝜇𝐴, 10𝜇𝐴, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 15𝜇𝐴, three values of 𝐼𝑐 were measured.
Three values of Rb were calculated.

B2. The values of Ic were plotted against Ib. Voltages of Vbe were measured and
plotted against Ic.

C. AC-amplifier

CONCLUSION

The use and characteristics of the transistor as an amplifier was explored in this
experiment in the AC-amplifier part of the experiment where transistor circuit (figure no.)
function as a single stage transistor amplifier, where input voltages were amplified by the
transistor with a specific gain. We also verify the correspondence of a small-signal gain
of a singles stage predicted gain from an analysis of the small-signal equivalent circuit.
There were some percent errors exist between our measured values compared to predicted
values. These errors occurred due to the inaccuracy of the apparatus used in order to build
the signal circuit.

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APPENDICES

lc vs Vbe
3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Ic vs Ib
3.50E-03

3.00E-03

2.50E-03

2.00E-03

1.50E-03

1.00E-03

5.00E-04

0.00E+00
0.00E+00 2.00E-03 4.00E-03 6.00E-03 8.00E-03 1.00E-02 1.20E-02 1.40E-02 1.60E-02